The Church was quiet, its hall lit by the pale moonlight and there were but the moving shadows and the creeping shades. The lights waver then dimmed, then regained its form, something was moving, or were my eyes growing weary?

Sounds of footsteps, then a door creaked opened like old dried bones. Father Risei never seemed to live out of his priest garb. Before me, at the altar, he spoke:

"Your coat is all torn up."

"People said that," I said, "people stared too."

"Lancer's light was snuffed, I assumed that..."

"Yeah."

"And of his Master?"

"Thirteen hour flight, economy class, London, England."

"Why are you here then? I don't think there are anything I can assist you with anymore. Unless you change your mind about being our ally, then I advise you to reduce your visit here to a minimum, preferably zero, from here on out. It wouldn't do well for us to be suspected of working with you."

"Isn't that what you want? Working with me?"

"I thought you took a position on that."

"I did, and I still held the same opinion on what Tohsaka is doing. I just have this idea in my skull that if I and Tohsaka can eliminate one Servant each, then the Grail War would be done quicker."

"But you want to destroy the Grail."

"I'm willing to let Tohsaka work with the thing first. If nothing comes of it, then that's that. No more Grail War."

"A compromise of sort?" He asked.

"Yeah," I sounded tired.

"I'm not sure if I can believe that."

"Likewise."

The father held both hands behind him and looked to the side, hummed while thinking. "This is ultimately Tohsaka's war," he said, "I can't be making decisions without his say. You should go and take a rest, come morning we'll send our answer in a letter to your office."

"Why not now?"

"Well, you must be tired, aren't you?"

"Not yet enough tired to listen and talk. Besides, I want to ask you about something."

"About what?"

An angle I wanted to see what I can get out of, I started with: "Assassin is still alive isn't he?" An outlandish question to be sure, but I didn't want to go around things. I also had little to lose asking such a question, but a lot to gain.

"What led you to believe that?"

"These three things in the forest."

"What are they?"

"Humanoid things, rabbit agility, low magical energy emission. Well, 'low' would not be exact. Something akin to blurry and hard to see, as if there was something masking them."

"And your conclusion is Assassin? There were three of them, according to your own words, Assassin is but one Servant."

"Well, that could be just his ability. But let's not drag this on, what you can do to disprove this silly idea of mine is to show me the spirit board, then I'd be satisfied."

Father Risei said nothing.

"Now's an opportunity for a deal, isn't it? All I'm asking is your honesty, reveal your hands, all the cards on the table and you'll have me as comrade. What's there for you to lose?"

"It's not for me to decide," father Risei said. "And we could lose a lot if you turn treacherous."

"Do I struck you as Satan?" In the back of my mind, the great adversary grinned.

"No, you do not. Strangely, you're always a bit different when we meet each other. When I saw you with that angel, whom you called Michael, I felt... I felt like I had truly met an angel and you yourself had an air of regal holiness. But that cannot be, you're but a simple magus, it's not within your ability to command angels. Unless, there's something else you're omitting..."

I smiled, as jovial as my tiredness allowed me. "I'm but a simple magus."

"And yet, you commanded those holy creatures that night. There's more to you."

"There's more to everybody. I don't need to know your life story to trust you, father. Just as you don't need to know mine to trust me. Last chance," I outstretched my hand, opened my palm in an invitation. "Or I'll walk away and next we meet I'll have the Grail's dust on my coat and the Tohsaka family's life work will never even have the chance to shine its light."

The old priest stared at my hand like it was an act of temptation. A deal with a devil, and in a way, it was. In that short silence between us, the door creaked opened again. Another priest stepped out. His hair was short and brown, his expression calm and composed and dull. Nothing could be read behind his eyes. It was like looking into a mirror, once upon a time.

"Kirei?" father Risei was bewildered, as if the act of revealing himself to me was a mistake one wouldn't make with a sane mind.

The younger priest nodded, "Forgive me, but I've wanted to speak with him, and this looks like the only chance that I can get."

"You don't need to ask for forgiveness, but why?"

"Well..." father Kirei trailed off, a moment of hesitation, and then he turned to me, "Yuki Makoto, I am the Master of Assassin."

"Kirei..."

"Knowing this, what will you do?"

"Same as any other," I said. "What's your wish?"

Gently, the younger priest shook his head. "I have no wish. The Grail chose me to be a Master, yes, but it must've made a mistake, for I have no aspiration that needs the Grail to actualize."

"So you're still in this solely to be Tohsaka's eyes and ears?"

"Mmm," he nodded. "That is my role. As for you, what is your wish?"

"You should already know that, and I don't think I'm eligible."

"There is a way for that."

"I'm not interested."

"Why not? The Grail can grant any wishes, yet you chose to go the path of destroying it."

"Did your Servant ever present at the banquet?"

"You don't trust genies? Is that your one and true reason to destroy the Holy Grail?"

"There's more to it, but that's a good reason as any."

His brows came down and his eyes narrowed to a dull glare like I was a frustrating puzzle box.

"You... no," he said. "That can't be it. A man like you, that can't be all."

"What silvery threads are you spinning about me in your head, father Kirei?"

"Your motives. I can't stop thinking of why you're in this war."

"Haven't I said?"

"I don't think you have at all. A man - no, a magus like you. Why would you wish to destroy the Grail?"

"That was said."

"I don't believe it. You want something. You have to want something. You can't just live fulfilling a sense of duty."

"Is that about me or you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Kirei," father Risei said. "I think that's quite enough. I think we can trust him."

"Trust him? We hardly know much about him."

"He had returned Tokiomi's daughter back from safety, and had refrained twice from attacking him though he had ample abilities to do so. We can trust him."

Father Kirei looked at me. "Moments ago you refused his hand."

"I thought it over, we can trust him."

"Really?" The eyes of the young priest had narrowed to a dull slit, a tired sigh escaped him, and he relented. "If you think it's best."

Father Risei nodded, "Come," he said with gesture. "Let's speak with Tokiomi."

They led me down to the Church's basement and to an apparatus of which was similar to that of a phonograph. Beneath this phonograph was neither a turntable nor a stylus, but a large jewel tied to a metal wire.

"Tokiomi," father Risei spoke to the phonograph's horn.

Tohsaka's distorted voice replied: "Yes?"

"Yuki is here."

"I see... What questions does he have for me?"

Father Risei turned to me and stepped aside and gestured to the device. I went to it and spoke:

"Do you remember your proposal when we first met? I'll take you up on it."

"Ah, that is wonderful. But I don't suppose you have much change of heart do you?"

"I don't."

"That's a conflict of interest there. I need the Grail, you want it gone."

"You can tinker with it when it's in your hand. If nothing comes of it, then..."

"I don't know if I like that. Even if I can't reach the Root with it, it's still a valuable magical artifact. It's worth to take back and study even if it can't reach the Root, even if it's corrupted."

"What's your chance of obtaining it?"

"With you obstructing me? I get it, but the Servants aren't to be underestimated, Yuki Makoto. I suppose you have a taste of it this night haven't you?"

"I was holding back, minimalizing potential casualties. If I wanted, that whole rooftop would be blackened to base carbon in a snap of my finger."

"Mighty arrogant are you?"

"It comes with great power."

The phonograph was silent.

"All right," it picked back up. "I agree to it. If this way of the Root fails, then you can destroy it. I suppose any studying of it wouldn't yield much that I can't already read up on the books that my family passed down. I would never know, of course, but obtaining the Grail takes priority. If you would help us, then, I'll lend you my resources and, please, lend me your strength."

"It's a deal."

"Good. Let me propose a plan."

The Church and the Tohsaka estate would be abandoned come the following hours, and the conspirators - except me - would take up preparations to settle in the Ryuudou Temple and then, the Ryuudou caverns. It was the area where major leylines concentrates to, so a large pool of magical energy will be present and will be enough for the descent of the Holy Grail. There were other areas that have large pool of magical energy reserves besides the caverns, such as the Tohsaka and Matou estate, and this Holy Church. But they were hard to defend and easy to get to.

The Ryuudou Temple was surrounded by a magical field which affects foreign spirits, so the only way to get to the Temple was the stone steps leading to it. Any other way would force those spirits to fall back on the steps. So you'd only need to defend that one way leading up, and a defender such as the Servant Archer, would have a great advantage.

Next were the rest of the Servants. This one left me a bit bitter. The summoning ritual for the Holy Grail was explained to me in full: it required the homunculus Irisviel Von Einzbern, specifically, the Lesser Grail sealed within her. An important piece needed to summon the Greater Grail. Tohsaka had learned of their new hideout already, it was a traditional Japanese styled lot in Miyama, abducting Irisviel would be Assassin's job, which he would only do when Saber was absent. Which, after successfully conducted, would lure Saber to the Ryuudou Temple, and the rest was Archer's.

My part was Rider.

I showered and slept that night at a motel. By six or so I returned the room key and paid what I owe and walked to street. The cold morning sky was gray, sunlight was rising from behind me, climbing up the tall buildings, traffic was a few cars, the sidewalk began to fill with a miscellaneous sorts of people, cataloging them was of no interest to me and I was of no interest to them. Though my appearance was odd, with all these torn up fabrics, nobody paid any mind. Everybody was minding their own business and didn't bother each other. Some to work, some to school, all the sorts. It was a peaceful walk.

Then I fell. I didn't trip over anything nor was there any foul play on the part of the people around me as they were far from arm's length and I felt neither hands nor legs that could be used to trip me over. I just fell. My knees collapsed upon themselves and I head face first into the sidewalk, dragging my cheek bone across concrete.

Then the report of the sniper shot finally came to bring its terror after about one second and echoed and disappeared. The people around made noises I hadn't care to make sense of.

My chest was getting warm from inside out, my lung had collapsed and blood was filling in and spilling out from the exit wound beneath my collarbone. I looked down, a puddle of pink blood lapping outward with air bubbles on top. I lie completely still and held my breath and let Diarahan did its work slowly so that its healing light kept dim and would not signify to the sniper that I was recovering. It might be unnecessary, as after taking that shot, he should be making his escape from wherever he was, but it was better to be safe.

When I stopped bleeding, it was a minute, yet the puddle of blood was still spreading out, scintillating in an odd beauty. What blood there were in my lung had worked themselves to where they belong, and I was breathing properly again. I swallowed a lump in my throat, the after taste of my own blood lingered on my tongue. I took in a deep breath and a hint of the smell was still there.

I stood up, the people who had come to look and talk had gawked and gasped in awe like I was a modern Lazarus. They were all confused and fearful, first they recoiled back, then they leaned in to inspect me more carefully, trying to make sense of what they were seeing, outstretching their hands and pointing and reaching in caution as if I was some apparition that could steal their very life.

I looked behind me; the morning sun was high above the gray buildings, silhouetting them against its light. The Magus Killer was out there somewhere, but I hadn't spare him much thought. The thin crowd of people dispersed themselves away from me as I walk down the street.

Author's note: I'm a little unsure about the Tohsaka faction letting Makoto in on their plan to be honest, I know that there are good reasons as to why they should and you could even argue that father Risei should be more enthusiastic about Makoto deciding to join. But it still feels off to me.

Another idea I have is that when Makoto arrives at Church, he finds it empty instead. Leaving him to wonder what is happening and must go about things himself. But such a chapter would be rather short and might be boring to read. So I'm unsure what to go with. Until the next chapter, I'm open to suggestions on whether I should leave this chapter as is or go the other route.

Also, I'm surprise the last chapter didn't do as bad as I thought it would be. I'm just going to take it as you guys being nice. Thank you.